On the first day of her urgent self-study cramming and rushed painting, Hua Jie was still in good shape.
Although she had stayed up all night, her young body recovered quickly. She managed a brief nap on the desk during the first class break, and by the second longer break, she was energetic enough to lead the exercises.
However, by the second day, she looked somewhat haggard and had to perk up with a large cup of milk tea, taking a good nap at noon.
Thankfully, her full immersion in studying soon paid off.
She listed all her incorrect answers, summarizing exactly why each mistake was made, and then focused on strategizing those areas.
For the problems she couldn’t figure out, she saved them until she had accumulated enough of each type, and then consulted Shen Mo for help.
Shen Mo, her strict little tutor, would often tap on her head and scold her for being slow, but he was always serious when teaching her.
His explanations were simple and easy to understand, often using food as analogies, which really suited her learning style and won her heart as a student.
On the weekend of October 28th and 29th, Hua Jie stayed cooped up at home studying, moving only between her desk and the dining table.
Her father had been away working on a train for the past few days, leaving the newly painted solid wood sofa to dry.
Every time Huan Huan passed through the yard to go to the bathroom, she would express her displeasure at the strong smell of paint by barking twice at the furniture before running out the gate.
Occasionally, during breaks, Hua Jie would go to the yard to check on the parts her father had treated and help apply some paint.
The wood at home had been dried for several years, ensuring it would not deform; it was high-quality wood that sounded solid when tapped.
After playing in the yard for a while, she would dive back into her studies.
After lunch, her mother peeped in to check on Hua Jie, eventually admitting that she had planned to go shopping with friends that afternoon but felt bad about leaving her daughter studying so diligently.
Hua Jie laughed and helped her mother put on her cotton jacket and scarf, wholeheartedly encouraging her to go out and have a good time. She insisted that her mother shouldn’t rush back to cook dinner, as she could prepare something herself when she needed a break from studying.
She also took the opportunity to measure her waist and leg length, asking her mother to buy her a new sweater in white—clean and comfortable.
A new pair of trousers, in black or grey straight-cut corduroy.
And a new pair of leather shoes, size 36 in black with a round toe, heel-less for comfort.
—All items should be in solid colors, without any unnecessary decorations, simple and elegant.
After detailing her requests, Hua Jie handed 300 yuan to her mother.
“If it’s not enough, maybe you could cover the rest for me,” she said.
Seeing her mother clutching the money in a daze, as if thinking, ‘How should I react to my 15-year-old daughter giving me money?’
Hua Jie pushed her mother out the door with a hearty laugh, not waiting for her to snap back to reality, and quickly ushered her out of the alley.
The afternoon sun was warm, but the wind was still cold.
She hopped on the spot for a bit, then ran back inside to continue her studies.
In the afternoon, Liao Shanshan called to invite her to go out in Wenzhou city, but Hua Jie declined, saying she needed to study painting.
Even though she hadn’t gone shopping since her rebirth and felt somewhat tempted, when you’re earnestly chasing a goal, you have to forego leisure and endure hardship and loneliness at certain stages.
This path wasn’t one she was forced into by others.
It was chosen because she knew what she wanted and understood what all her efforts were for.
So, she wanted to give it a try this week.
To see what she could achieve by pushing herself to the limits.
The house felt unusually cold with no parents around; even with the heating on full blast, it didn’t seem very warm.
Hua Jie opened the door to her room, letting Huan Huan curl up at her feet to sleep, keeping her company and warming her feet.
Occasionally, the chirping of birds from the large cage in the living room broke the silence, while in the girl’s room, only the rustling sound of the pen moving over paper could be heard.
When her hand hurt, she’d put down her pen and shake it out.
If her neck felt sore, she’d stand up and walk around.
Stumped by a problem, she’d take a deep breath, change her mindset, and keep pondering…
As dusk fell, she finally solved a super complex math problem.
Hua Jie slammed her eraser on the desk and laughed loudly three times.
The sudden noise startled Huan Huan, who almost bumped his head, and the birds in the living room also chirped in shock.
Quickly quieting her laughter, she reached out to pat Huan Huan on the head, then went to the living room to feed the birds some food, calming the household pets before stretching languidly.
Though exhausted and hungry, solving problems felt like clearing levels in a game, and the sense of accomplishment from finally reaching the goal was truly wonderful.
She moved to the kitchen, washed some tomatoes, and prepared garlic, ginger, and scallions.
She chopped the tomatoes into fine strips, cooked them into mush, then added water and brought it to a boil, preparing to cook the noodles.
Wash the spinach and give it a quick chop, then blanch it in boiling water.
While cooking, her short hair kept falling over her face, tickling and bothering her. She tried tying it back with a hair tie and managed to bundle it into a small tuft.
Checking herself in the mirror, she noticed her bangs had grown too long and were poking her eyes.
Deciding to take matters into her own hands, she grabbed scissors and snipped away, thinking it was just bangs after all.
However, the left side ended up too short, so she cut the right side a bit;
Then the right side was too short, so she trimmed the left again…
After four or five tries, her bangs were even, but… also quite thinned out.
Staring at her bangs in the mirror, now several centimeters above her eyebrows, she felt on the verge of tears.
In the end, she had no choice but to roll up her bangs and clip them on top of her head with a small clip.
With her forehead now exposed, she looked less gentle but somewhat more spirited.
Glancing at the small ponytail at the back of her head, she adjusted it with her hand a couple of times, fairly satisfied with it.
Thus, she optimistically continued making dinner, and by the time a bowl of egg and tomato noodles was ready, she had completely forgotten the tragedy of her bangs.
The tomatoes were stewed into the broth, creating a delightful surprise of tiny tomato chunks, and the soup’s slight thickness made for an especially good texture.
She took a big sip from her bowl, enjoying the hot, sour, and sweet bliss.
She halved a well-cooked egg, crushed one half of the yolk into the soup, making it even more irresistible.
Slurping her noodles noisily and gulping down the soup, she finished with a sweat on her forehead, feeling utterly content and sleepy.
After dinner, she strolled around the house watching the news broadcast, preparing to start a long evening session of watercolor practice, when the door clicked open—her mother had returned.
Before Hua Jie could react, her mother was already pulling off her old sweater and slipping a new one over her arms, spinning her around like a doll and admiring her.
After a satisfied nod:
“My daughter is just so beautiful.”
The night wind blew outside, but inside Hua Jie’s home was very warm.
The little dog Huan Huan circled around mother and daughter as Hua’s mother enjoyed playing dress-up with her daughter, thoroughly enjoying the game.
……
……
On Monday morning, as classmates arrived at the classroom, they all seemed a bit lackluster, still reminiscing about the weekend’s joys. The thought of the upcoming week’s studies, especially with midterms on Wednesday, was already exhausting.
Yu Tonglin, still drowsy from breakfast, yawned as he entered, but his spirits lifted instantly when he saw Hua Jie sitting across the podium.
Bathed in the morning light, the young girl was staring up at the problems on the blackboard. Her short hair was tied into a small tuft, and her bangs were clipped up, revealing her entire delicate face—her big eyes, perky nose, and plump lips stood out even more.
Especially with her small ears and graceful neckline visible, she exuded a charm of youthful innocence that was particularly alluring.
Yu Tonglin felt as if Hua Jie was like a bud about to bloom, suddenly revealing its fragrance and bright colors that could no longer be concealed.
The soft allure that she always seemed to possess had suddenly become more pronounced, captivating him and making it hard for him to look away.
As Hua Jie finished reciting something, she lowered her head to read her book.
As Yu Tonglin walked up to her, he caught a glimpse of her nape, the round and tender earlobes, and the fair skin between her jaw and neck.
He swallowed involuntarily, his steps slowing. He wanted to strike up a conversation with her, but hesitated and ultimately did not speak.
After sitting down at his desk, he spread his books out in front of him, but his eyes kept drifting back to the girl’s silhouette.
The white sweater she wore highlighted her ethereal quality, fluffy and making her appear soft and delicate.
In middle school, he hadn’t noticed how beautiful she was.
People say a girl changes drastically at eighteen; it seems it’s true.
……
Shen Mo hadn’t had a Hua’s Milk Tea in many days.
Since receiving the kraft paper bag from his father, Hua Jie had been so busy she barely had time to drink water.
Shen Mo felt a bit annoyed; life at school often felt lonely.
That little potato just sitting there, looking easy to talk to, yet he couldn’t.
He had hoped that over the weekend, the little potato would come to his house for painting lessons, and perhaps he’d get a few meals cooked by her, but that didn’t happen.
His father, intending to let the little potato prepare well for the midterms, had given her a break before even starting the first formal lesson.
His father didn’t seem to take teaching painting seriously, treating it like a game.
Resentment.
Walking into the classroom with his backpack slung over one shoulder, he was just thinking about the news he saw online over the weekend about Tencent’s QICQ seeking investments, when he suddenly noticed that in the spot where Hua Jie should have been sitting, there was a girl with a ponytail sticking up, wearing a white sweater.
“…” A chill ran through Shen Mo’s heart, his first thought being that the teacher had temporarily rearranged the seating and he hadn’t been informed.
Before he could think rationally, anger flared up inside him. He strode over to the seat and kicked the leg of the girl in white’s desk, demanding in a hostile tone:
“Where’s Hua Jie?”
The girl, who had been quietly studying her text, jumped at the kick. She looked up in shock, meeting the boy’s fiery gaze.
Realizing that he wasn’t joking and was genuinely angry, she instinctively shrank back.
Then confusion followed.
What had he just asked?
She hadn’t misheard, had she?